Open Up to Me
by sabakunothanks
Summary: Mei Igarashi: The hateful/headstrong sole survivor of her clan's slaughtering by the Akatsuki, meets Gaara: The formerly cynical/evil now turned good guy/Kazekage. Romantic love is a foreign concept to them both. Can they open up to each other and explore it together? GaaraxOC, Rated for language and sexual content in later chapters x
1. Open Up to Me (Karasu)

_Karasu no Konoha_  
The Raven of The Hidden Leaf.

A legend in Konoha for the last 17 years. Few actually knew if it was true or not, and if they did, ANBU was certain to keep them quiet about it.

However, the legend began to unravel when a beautiful young lady is found is found unconscious at the gates of Konoha. The Jounin who discovered her could sense her presence for miles before they reached her. Her chakra pierced the winter air like daggers even in her comatose state.  
Long black locks smooth like silk, spilled over the stark white canvas of newfallen snow. Her clothes were tattered and her skin was heavily bruised.

The Jounin rushed the perplexing girl to Konoha Hospital and notify the 5th Hokage of their findings. Lady Tsunade does a careful examination, knowing full well who she was, but refusing to believe it until she lifted the girls delicate eyelid to reveal a deep violet colored eye.

Karasu no Konoha was alive, and she was certainly no legend.

_To be continued..._


	2. Open Up to Me (Suna)

_Lady Tsunade waited 2 days for the mysterious girl to regain consciousness, and when she did…_

I groaned at the bright rays of sunshine streaming through the window.  
..Window?  
WINDOW?

I immidiately jumped, slamming my back against the headboard of the bed, I pulled the covers tightly to my chest.  
Where the fuck am I?

My eyes darted around the room, taking in my surroundings. I was instantly on edge and I felt my chakra begin to build inside of me and burn my chest, until my eyes began to focus on a rather shapely blonde woman.

I glared at her

_"Man, if looks could kill.." Tsunade thought. She noticed the girl began to emulate black chakra from behind her._

_The legendary black chakra…_

"Calm down, I am not here to hurt you. You were found unconscious outside the gates to this village a couple days ago."

I looked down at the bandages on my arms.

"Village?" I murmured

"Konoha."

A pain shot from deep inside of my stomach and up my spine at the utterance of that name. How did I end up here? How the fuck did I end up outside of my home village… The village that disowned me after the tragedy, the village I left 10 years ago…

"I'm the Hokage here in Konoha…"

I wonder what happened to the old man…

"What is your name?" She asked

At first I hesitated to answer her. Who was this lady? Could she be trusted?

"Mei Igarashi." I spat

_As Tsunade had expected. Igarashi. __Mei's eyes were full of something, it wasnt rage, but hatred. True hatred and pain. Knowing the story, which until now had been "legend", Tsunade knew that this girl had been through hell and back.. the way her own clan treated her was despicable. Tsunade had only seen eyes like that on one other person in her lifetime._

For the next few days, Tsunade had everyone under the sun come into my room and try to get me to "open up" and "tell my story". She was so mistaken as to who I am that it was almost hilarious to me. I don't want or need any friends or anyones fucking charity.

_The truth was, Tsunade had high hopes that Mei would befriend some of the ninjas her own age in Konoha. Tsunade knew of the power that Mei posessed and she knew that kind of power in the wrong hands combined with what she had been through, could prove to be fatal. However, her power in the right hands could mean she'd be a valuable asset to the ninja of the leaf. But she had to figure out Mei's background, to seperate legend from fact. She had to get her to open up… but who could do it? She'd sent_  
_Sakura on Tuesday - no luck_  
_Ino on Wednesday - no luck_  
_Shikamaru on Thursday - nothing._  
_Neji on Friday - Mei wouldn't even look at him. In fact, she challenged him to a fight and landed him in the Hospital as well._

_Mei, however, was almost totally unharmed. Not to mention she had tried to escape every night she spent there._

_Just as Tsunade was beginning to think she was out of options.. it came to her. those eyes. Who else had those eyes?_

_**Sabaku no Gaara**._  
_dead, empty eyes full of hate and pain. Someone who also turned all of that pain into fuel to become one of the best Kazekage the sand has ever had. Someone with a dark past supposedly similar to Mei's. Someone who was still working on themselves to this day._

_…It was also 3 AM when Tsunade formulated this little sharade and ended up waking a team of 10 Nin from different ranks up from their sleep just to escort Mei to Sunagakure. She just hoped Mei wouldn't kill them all._

The ninjas managed to restrain Mei with some difficulty but they knew the only way to transport her without risk of injury was to give her a drug to put her out for a while.

Fuck… what the..?  
My eyes were clouded but as I went to rub them, I realized I was tied up, flying through the trees… with a bunch of fucking Konoha nin.

"Where the hell are you taking me?! Let me go!"

"Afraid we can't do that!"

…Whos this cheery guy? A blonde spikey haired ninja with sparkling blue eyes turned around and smiled at me. He looked really familiar to me, it was the first time that i'd seen someone that looked even remotely familiar in a long time. I couldn't put my finger on where I'd seen him before...

However just as I thought this, the boy's foot hit a branch and he fell quite a few feet, he scrambled to get back into formation. I smiled faintly.

"I'm Naruto Uzimaki!" He said with a smile "I'm in charge of this mission,"

_Naruto was thinking the same thing that Mei was, ever since Tsunade assigned this mission to him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had met her somewhere before._

"Mission..?"

"We're transporting you to Suna, sorry we had to tie you up like this… you're pretty powerful,"

"Why?! I thought-"

"Listen, I know you're confused and its been a rough week for ya. But if theres anything I know, I know Tsunade-sama knows what she's doing. she has a good reason for temporarily sending you to Suna, okay?"

He smiled again

I'm not saying I trust this kid, because I don't. But something about him comforted me, moreso than any of the other people this "Tsunade" had sent my way.

My only goal since I had woken up in Konoha was to get away from these people and back to my way of life. Not that my way of life was one of peaceful existence. But… I was used to it. It wasn't new and unfamiliar like all of this. Where is Suna? And why do I need to be there?


	3. Open Up to Me (Gaara)

**Hey all! I hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it (: **

* * *

As soon as we reached the desert, I started to think that maybe Tsunade had no fucking clue who she was dealing with. Sending ME of all people to this godforsaken place? I don't think I've ever been hotter in my life. Its like sitting on the surface of the sun with the most annoying substance known to man, SAND. It was getting in my eyes and since I was tied up, there wasn't anything I could do about it.

My life fucking sucks

When we reached the gates of Suna, after what seemed like days, Naruto stepped forward to talk to the guards. I was about ready to die of a heat stroke.

With a few hushed words we were escorted into the Village. I, of course was the item on display. Every person who was out and about could see me being hustled through their village like a prisoner. If these ropes weren't stopping my flow of chakra I'd…

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled "GAARA!"

The group halted as we awaited the arrival of 3 men. I was beginning to feel dizzy and was struggling to focus, but I could make out that 2 of them were tall, with one slightly shorter man in the middle.

"Naruto… what a surprise.."

That voice… that voice poured into my ears like honey from a spoon, and my mind drank every drop of it.

"Good to see you again, Gaara. Got a present for you,"

Naruto stepped aside to reveal me, standing in the middle of the formation. Some prize. I must've looked fucking pitiful. One of the ninja reached over and gave me a few sips of water, which helped my vision begin to clear up a bit.

_As soon as he saw her, his breath hitched in his throat. He could feel her energy radiating through his body, immediately letting him know of the immense power she possessed. He felt something towards this girl, he just didn't know what it was. Gaara still had emotions that he didn't totally understand and frankly, couldn't be bothered with, and this was one of them._

"Who is she?" The voice asked again… now which one said that?

…the short one.

He…well he certainly didn't look like anyone I'd ever seen before. His hair—a deep blood red color, and spikey. His eyes were.. stunning. They were lined with strange black rings, two pale teal orbs, gleaming in the desert sunlight. They intimidated me. They made me feel like they could see straight through me and into me, all of my deepest thoughts and dreams, they all belonged to him now. And the amount of Chakra this kid had was almost threatening.

"Her name is Mei Igarashi," Naruto continued "Tsunade-sama also sent this along",

Naruto handed Gaara a piece of paper. He gazed at the paper for a moment, totally expressionless, before folding it up and handing it to the taller man on his left.

"Untie her," He said simply "We'll handle it from here."

With a swift hand motion, the rope fell from around my body. Naruto simply saluted Gaara, and gave me a wink, before him and the other nin dissapeared.

Before I even had time to think of running I was grabbed by the 2 men standing on either side of Gaara.

"LET ME GO! WHY AM I BEING TREATED LIKE A FUCKING ANIMAL? I didn't do anything to anyone!"

Gaara glared at me. His eyes sent chills down my spine.

"I'll only have them let you go if you promise not to run, but if you do I'll be forced to stop you," He crossed his arms

A smirk spread across my face

"Is that a threat?"

"Try me."

I quickly disarmed his 2 guards as I noticed a wave of sand rushing towards my body. I quickly protected myself in the only way I knew how

_Gaara had never seen anything like what the girl standing in front of him had just done. 2 monstrous wings of black chakra folded around her body to shield her from the sand in what seemed like a split second. She then tried to retaliate by sending one of the wings over to cut his throat only a millisecond before his sand protected him. For a moment, the two of them just stared at eachother, each one of them amazed by the others abilities. They had drawn quite a crowd by now._

Gaara grabbed me by the shoulder and hurried me along in silence for the next 10 minutes until we reached something like a mansion. More like a glorified sand castle, if you ask me. We scuffled up the front steps and into the door. He slammed it behind him.

"Don't _**ever**_ cause a scene like that again, do you understand?"

"Whats up your ass? I'm the one being treated like a fucking criminal, I really don't need this…"

Gaara did his best to control himself

"I understand, but I'm the Kazekage of Suna and I have appearances to keep up. I can't just go into full scale battle with a stranger in the middle of my village!"

_**Kazekage**_? but he's so young… He can't be any older than I am

"Listen, " He said, trying to calm himself "You'll be staying here in the guest quarters from now on. All of your clothes and food will be provided. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do, but I can have someone show you to your room,"

"What if I don't want to stay here?" I challenged

"Fine then, don't. But you look pretty sweaty for someone who's only been here 15 minutes, going back outside may not be the smartest thing for you to do."

Fuck this kid. Who does he think he is? Kazekage my ass.

One of Gaara's lackies shuffled up to me and offered to take me to my room before I could retort. I had nowhere to go, I didn't know where I was, and I have no reason to trust any of these people.


	4. Open Up to Me (Dinner)

**Starting to lose confidence in this story. **

**Thinking of taking it down entirely and re-working it due to recent things that have been brought to my attention. **

**But I'm still thinking about it. **

**Enjoy x**

* * *

_Gaara's head was reeling from everything that had just happened. Who is that girl? And what did Tsunade mean by that note? He re-read it in his mind_

"**You may be the only one who can pull her out of this**"

_What the hell did that mean? Gaara had just begun to understand his own darkness. Why not choose someone like Naruto? Why him? Did this mean he was going to have to befriend her? Gaara was only just forming friendships for the first time in his life, and was still painfully socially awkward._

_He plopped down into his chair, nervously running his fingers through his hair. He began to stress over the meaning of all of this when there was a knock at his office door_

"Come in."

It was one of Gaara's top advisors.

"Oh, Baki,"

"Gaara-sama. I heard we have a guest from the hidden leaf? Who is it?"

"Well... I don't know for sure. Tsunade's note was very brief. The only real piece of information stated was that she was found in Konoha, but that doesn't mean she's from there..."

Baki took a seat opposite the desk

"The hokage sent her? Name?"

"Mei Igarashi? I think," Gaara said

Baki suddenly went silent at the mention of her name, and he furrowed his eyebrows

"Did you say her last name is Igarashi? You're sure?"

Gaara gave a curious nod.

"Igarashi..." He trailed off

"What? What is it?"

"Well, its just that I thought that all the members of that clan had died,"

"What happened to them?" Gaara asked

"Well... The Igarashi clan was a powerful branch village of Konoha. They were only about 10 miles to the north of it, and they had such close ties that it was always considered apart of Konoha,"

Gaara listened intently

"They were very good at developing new jutsu and had they're own fighting style that was completely unique.. but they were all wiped out about 10 years ago."

"...How could a clan like that be so easily killed?"

"The Akatsuki, when they were in their early stages and Orochimaru was still a member. Apparently, they infiltrated their village looking for something specific. Some sort of weapon, I believe. But when the clan wouldn't give it up, they killed them. Burned their whole village to the ground. It was a devastating loss for Konoha."

_Baki's story made Gaara even more confused as to why Tsunade would send this girl to him, and him specifically._

_Was any of this even true?_

* * *

Okay so the room that they gave me at the Kazekage's mansion? I could definitely get used to living like this. They even gave me special clothes that under any circumstances, wouldn't allow me to become overheated. Their generosity was cool and all, but I'm not an idiot. There has to be some reason that these people want me here so badly. Are they trying to capture me? If so, they're really shitty at it.

I took the liberty of setting some minor traps. Nothing that would kill anyone, per se. But enough to scare them into leaving me alone. Being alone meant I was safe.

There was a large window in front of my bed, one big enough to sit in, and the sun was beginning to set. The guest room was splashed with all of the colors of the sky, bright pinks and oranges to deep violet. I had never seen a desert sunset before, but seeing one for the first time almost made me want to stay forever. Almost.

There was a knock at the door.

"Go away." I stated simply

"Uh...its Gaara,"

That voice. That deep husky, raspy voice of his made me want to open the door but I couldn't trust him.

"I don't care..."

There was a brief silence

"Dinner is being served...If you want to come down..." He stated awkwardly

I was starving. I had been hearing my stomach growl for the last hour. Slightly ashamed, and desperate for food, I removed my trap from behind the door and slowly opened it, being sure to make no eye contact with Gaara. I did, however, notice his wardrobe change. His outfit was much more casual than his Kazekage robes. He had, strapped to his back, with a cream colored sash, a large peanut. Wait, what? Or maybe its a gourd? Whats in there? Why would anyone elect to carry something that big?

He cleared his throat and we began to walk together

Gaara tried desperately to think of things to say, but none of them felt right and he was unbelievably uncomfortable having casual conversations. So he walked silently with her all the way downstairs. He noticed how nicely her new clothes suited her. He blushed at the thought and quickly gathered himself.

He took his place at the head of the table and I made sure to sit at the opposite side. We ate in silence. I scarfed down bite after bite of pork cutlet. It was so good. I couldn't believe he just had people to cook like this for him every day. I hope he takes serious advantage of this!

"Uh..." he piped up

I glanced at him

"H-hows your food?" He asked

"Don't bother making small talk with me, I don't want your friendship."

_It was then, right then, that Gaara realized it. She sounded like him, the old him. Her words, and her actions. He had begun the journey to pull himself out of his darkness, and had gained the respect of his people... was he supposed to help her? How?_

_He also realized in that instance how difficult he must have been to be around in the past. Man, was he really that bad?_

"Alright." He replied, and continued to finish his food

I couldn't help but snap at him that way, its just how I am. Something about this guy almost made me feel bad for doing so. But why? Never felt bad about doing it to anyone before. Maybe it was his looks. Even I had to admit, he was really attractive. His skin was like porcelain in the light of the dining area. His face was hard with worry but his eyes were somehow calm.

I swallowed down the last bite of my meal and quickly got up from the table.

"Thanksfortellingmeaboutdinner." I muttered as I hurried past him

Gaara smirked to himself

_This is going to be interesting._


	5. Open Up to Me (Rooftop)

The sky was totally dark by the time I got back to my room, and painted with stars. A full moon, too. The bed was so soft and cozy, but I was way too full to go to sleep, and had too much pent up energy to just lay there and stare at the ceiling. So, I decided to climb up to the roof and get some training in.

Hot as fuck during the day, and freezing cold at night, thats the desert for you. What a backwards place.

I practiced my hand motions, my wing displacement jutsu, even a bit of taijutsu. I wasn't exactly sure how long I'd been up there when I heard footsteps creeping up from behind me.

"I enjoy training by moonlight too..." I heard Gaara's voice say

I froze mid stance

"Whatever, don't get in my way and I won't hurt you."

He didn't reply but I could see him beginning to train out of my peripheral vision. I eventually stopped my own training and became mesmerized by his. I'd never seen anyone manipulate an element quite like he did. His motions were almost like an orchestrated dance. Everything flowed so smoothly...

So thats what he keeps in that peanut—I mean gourd—sand.

He glanced at me

"Show me what you were doing when I got up here, with the feathers." He demanded

I stepped back a few feet, granting his request. I was almost eager to show him.

_Gaara stood in awe of her as he saw the beautiful wings of chakra emerge from her back as they had earlier_

"You may want to stand back some." I warned

Gaara did nothing of the sort, but rather encased himself in a shield of sand leaving holes for his eyes.

"Go on." He said

I smirked. Cocky bastard.

"Hane no Ha jutsu!"

In a single moment, the wings separated into thousands of individual feathers of chakra, which changed into sharp blades that rained down, stabbing deep into the roof. 2 of which, got stuck in Gaara's sand barrier. The shield fell from around him and the sand retreated back into his gourd.

Well, I did tell him to stand back.

He gazed at me for a moment. I couldn't tell what he was thinking by looking at his face, considering he has the emotional range of a grain of sand. I felt my wings retract into my body.

"Can you show me that sand waterfall again, the one you were doing a few minutes ago?" I asked quietly

Gaara obeyed my request.

Amazing. The things he could do with sand were stunning. I was beginning to question my purpose for being here even more. Why would someone this powerful need me? I was being held here but why? Was I sent for, or sent away?

"You're going to come out into the village with me tomorrow," He said

"What the hell for?"

"I guess to show you around, I don't know... Wouldn't you be bored in your room all day plotting our deaths? Heh..."

He laughed but he didn't smile. How is that even possible?

"Fine."

_Gaara watched her leap down from the roof and climb back through her window._

_This was the first time he had ever asked a girl, well anyone regardless of gender, to casually do something with him. What did people his age call this again? He racked his brain. Hanging out? Yes, that was it. Hanging out. He wasn't too sure what people did when they "hung out" but he figured he could wing it._

The next morning, I attempted to find my way to the dining area, but I got a bit turned around, this mansion was just too big.

As I rounded a corner, I nearly collided with someone who was in the middle of a yawn. It was a girl. She was very pretty, her eyes were navy blue and she had blonde spikey hair that was in 4 pigtails. She cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, so you're the one," She breathed "Welcome to the sand."

"Who are you?" I asked apprehensively

"Temari. Gaara's sister,"

Wow, they look nothing alike.

"Oh...Hello..."

She stretched her arms above her head

"Were you heading to the dining room too? If we go now, we can catch Kankouro before he leaves so you can meet him too,"

We began to walk

"Kankouro...?" I asked

"Our older brother."

So Gaara's the baby, huh?

We reached the dining room within a few moments, there was someone sitting at the table. He was wearing a black bodysuit that covered his hair. His face was adorned with strange markings in purple paint

"Kankouro," Temari said

He looked up

"This is Mei Igarashi. She's our guest,"

He stood and walked over. He held his hand out, though I didn't understand why. What was I supposed to do with it? I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. He awkwardly withdrew his hand after a few moments

"Uh, welcome. I hope you like it here..." He said

I guess weird runs in Gaara's family.

"Goodmorning Gaara!" Temari beamed

Gaara appeared behind me, already dressed and ready to go. I hadn't realized he wanted to go out immediately after breakfast.

"Goodmorning Temari, Kankouro," He paused "Mei."

I nodded curtly and went to sit at the table.

After an uncomfortably silent breakfast of fruit and toast, I headed back upstairs to get dressed.

What the hell do people do when they do things together? And why did I have to anything with him of all people? He pisses me off. I had never really spent time with anyone before...

I searched through the drawers and cabinets in my new surroundings for a brush. When I found one, I walked over to the mirror. I barely even recognized the reflection looking back at me.. I guess I don't really look at my reflection alot, but having an actual room with a mirror for the first time was forcing me to. My hair had gotten long, it swung down around my waistline and it was still as black as midnight, not even the desert sun could lighten my hair. I brushed and brushed until it was obvious that I was just stalling, too scared to go downstairs and actually tell Gaara I was done getting ready.

I heard a light tap on my door.

"If you don't hurry up, I'll leave without you,"

I laughed sarcastically

"You say that like I'm supposed to care," I replied

I put the brush down and went to the door.

"You're lucky I'm going with you at all," I muttered

"You say that like I'm supposed to care." He mocked

I punched him in the shoulder

He showed no emotion in his face. I couldn't even tell if he felt that or not.

"Shall we go?" He asked

"I guess."

...


	6. Open Up to Me (Outing)

We set out into the village of Sunagakure. With my new clothes, being outside was much more comfortable than my arrival. Surprisingly, it was just him and I. No guards, no advisors. I mean, Gaara was definitely more than capable of protecting himself, but still, it seemed strange for the Kazekage to be out and about with no one other than a girl who wasn't from around there, but I didn't care enough to question it. We spent most of the afternoon just talking to villagers. He really took the time to make sure these people were happy. It was something my mind couldn't comprehend. Why did he care about these people? Even when it seemed like he was struggling to be cheerful, he muttled through it.

I was quiet for most of the time unless someone asked me something directly. I didn't really speak up until something bizarre happened. We were passing through the market district of the village, and an entire family looked completely horrified at Gaara. The couple even shielded their children and backed away.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked

He was silent. It was apparent that he had never intended to answer my question. The thought never even crossed his mind.

When the sun was beginning to set, Gaara took me into a noodle house near the mansion. It was super busy, so I assumed that meant it was a good place to eat. He stopped to talk to the owners and a few other villagers before we were seated.

"They have the best udon in these parts, ramen too," He spoke quietly

"Are you gonna explain to me what happened earlier or not?" I asked

He put his menu down and stared into the distance, his striking eyes seemed to be searching for the right answer.

"If I tell you something about myself, you have to tell me something about yourself,"

_Gaara prided himself on that brilliant response. Mei was quiet for a long time. He began to study her face. Her violet eyes seemed to glow in gold light of the resturant. He didn't understand why, but looking at her now suddenly began to make his heart race. Even though the place was packed, it felt like they were the only people there... maybe he was just dehydrated._

"...Fine. But you have to go first," I bargained

"Alright then," He took a deep breath "I have the approval of most of the villagers, but that doesn't mean everyone understands how I've changed. It also doesn't mean everyone understands me period,"

"What do you mean 'how you've changed?' "

"I said I'd tell you something about myself, not everything," He replied "Your turn,"

I didn't know what to say. Luckily a waitress came to take our order, giving me some more time to think about it. What could I tell him? Sharing things about myself made me feel uneasy.

"...So?" Gaara pressed

"Don't rush me,"

I thought some more, but it sort of just came out

"I'm sort of a nomad, I don't usually stay in one place for longer than a few days..."

"Why?"

"Remember what you just said? Something, not everything?" I mocked

"Heh... You're a fast learner, Mei."

It was scaring me that I was beginning to feel comfortable around him. I didn't know what to do with these feelings. Shit, I didn't know what I was feeling at all. All I know is I didn't cringe as much when he spoke to me like I do when everyone else does. He made me want to let my guard down, even if only a little bit. Mostly because I was so curious about him.

We went up to the roof to train when we arrived back at the mansion. The moonlight accompanied our dancing shadows, with night sky as our backdrop.

I watched him, and he watched me. Just as I completed a kick I had been working on, he made a request

"Come here," He said

I walked over to him

"Hold out your hands,"

"Why? What are you going to do?" I asked defensively

"Calm the hell down, I'm gonna show you something,"

_Gaara had never done this before, and he wasn't sure exactly what came over him. He moved a small amount of sand from his gourd into her hands. No one else had ever touched the sand from his gourd before, he considered that sand an extension of himself._

I locked eyes with him, which was the first time this had happened. I had always avoided his gaze because of the way his eyes made me feel. This time was different, somehow. I could still feel their power but it wasn't so intimidating anymore.


	7. Open Up to Me (Reveal)

I could feel so much chakra flowing through that small mound of sand that Gaara put into my hand

"Focus some of your chakra into that sand," He directed

I did, I watched as my chakra danced with his through the grains of sand. He slowly began to withdraw his own

"I'm going to see if you can suspend it in the air by yourself,"

I felt my chakra disperse through the sand, and surprisingly, I was able to suspend it in midair quite easily, but only for a couple of seconds before it fell.

"See, fast learner."

I almost smiled. What is this that I'm feeling? My stomach feels weird, and my face is hot...

"Gaara," I said

"Yes?"

"Can we do what we did at the resturant earlier? You know, where I ask you something about yourself and you ask me something about myself?"

Gaara noticed her tone of voice was beginning to change from defensive to somewhat relaxed.

"Sure, what would you like to know?"

I pointed to his tattoo

"Why do you have 'love' tattooed there?"

He fell silent. It wasn't the kind of silence from this afternoon, this silence was somehow louder. I could physically feel it echoing through my bones.

A breeze passed between us, ruffling his Gaara's hair a bit. He walked to the edge of the rooftop and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge. I followed suit.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I can ask something else instead..." I suggested quietly

_Gaara didn't know if he was ready to discuss these things with anyone, let alone someone he barely knows, but Mei made him feel safe even if her personality was a bit abrasive. It was almost as if his body acted on its own when he began to tell her the answer, like his spirit knew that she was the right person to tell this to._

"Its not really a tattoo... I etched it there with sand," He paused to look up at the moon "I did it after some really terrible events when I was very young.. It essentially means I love myself and myself only. I didn't trust anyone for most of my life, I still struggle to sometimes. It also means no one ever loved me, and no one ever will...well at least thats what I thought at the time...Now, I think it has come to mean something else..."

I was shocked. This only made me crave to learn more about him. He was only giving me bits and pieces, but that was okay, I didn't expect him to tell me his whole life's story in one answer. Everything he was describing was so familiar to me, things I had carried within my own heart for so long. Not being able to trust, and only loving yourself...

But how did he overcome?

"But anyways...What do I want to ask you?" He pondered "...I know about your clan. And I'm... I'm sorry. But I have to ask... how did you survive?

"What the hell? What did you read up on me or something?"

"A girl I had no previous connections to, shows up in my village from an allied country by special request with no warning. I had to do something,"

He blinked at me

He had me there. I guess trying to find information about me was the only thing he could do.

I had never told a single soul what happened to me the day The Akatsuki invaded my village. I didn't have to, because it was no one's fucking business... and it was a painful memory; one I preferred not to talk about. But Gaara was making me feel more and more comfortable the more he told me about himself, even though the things he was sharing were painful to him. I figured if he could try, then so could I.

"I...I don't know, to be honest. It was like my body reacted of its own will as a a defense mechanism,"

Gaara knew all too well what she meant.

"I was able to injure one of them badly enough that I could get away..." I felt a painful lump begin to rise in my throat. Stop it, stop acting like a fucking baby. Do not cry in front of him "I was so scared...I knew they were looking for me...they killed my whole clan because they were looking for... me... it's all my fault,"

Fuck. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks, I couldn't stop them, I'm so weak...

_Gaara realized that Mei...was the "weapon" the Akatsuki was looking for. Again, he knew exactly what it felt like to be seen as just a weapon, not a person, someone to be feared and not loved. He had never had to directly comfort someone while they weapt openly in front of him. He felt so many emotions, confused and angry at what happened to her, and to himself, how no one had saved her..._

"I-I ran to Konoha because it was our sister village. But I was so shaken up by what happened," I paused to let out a sob "...that I became unable to trust any of the people who tried to help me, and I lashed out by hurting them... I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. They began to avoid me,and treated me more like I was a problem, so I ran,"

_No one had tried to help her like Naruto had done for him. She had been stuck in her despair for much longer than he had... but he knew that she wasn't as far gone as he was. Could he be her Naruto? Was he ready to help someone else in this way? He looked at Mei... he was finally starting to understand what she was, what he felt towards her. He wished to take all of her pain away._

I was suddenly wrapped in Gaara's arms, my head against his hard chest, I could hear the strong rhythm of his heartbeat instantly. I hadn't been this close to anyone since I was very young. I froze, tensing all my muscles. I didn't want to move away. I wanted to stay with him, but it was difficult.

"You're not alone anymore." He whispered

Another tear fell from my eye

"Why should I trust you?" I croaked

"Thats the thing about learning to trust, sometimes... you just have to because you have no other options.. running away won't help you anymore,"

_Gaara told her his story, all of it. About his uncles betrayal, about being the former Jinchuuriki, and how he was seen as a monster. How he killed obsessively to prove his existence, how his own father had tried to assassinate him...and about how Naruto Uzumaki had saved his life. _

He had it way rougher than I did. And he became fucking Kazekage... am I weak, am I crazy? Everytime my body tried to pull away, Gaara held me tighter.

"I'm here for you, I'm here for you, I'm here for you..." He whispered.

His husky voice soothed me. The last thing I remembered was inhaling the sweet musky scent from Gaara's clothes while my head rested on his chest.

...


	8. Open Up to Me (Breakfast)

**I'm sorry about the slow updates! I'm back in school after being off for spring break, its taking over my life haha. I hope you're all enjoying the story ****x**

* * *

I was jolted awake by a strong gust of wind followed by a mouthful of sand. I coughed and sputtered violently. It only lasted for a moment before I was in total darkness.

"WHAT THE-?!"

"Sandstorm," Gaara informed "We must have fallen asleep on the roof."

Gaara had encased us in a sphere of sand, he mumbled some jutsu which made the sphere begin to float downwards, it slowly crumbled away as we entered the front door. The foyer was quiet, it was usually alive with several of his staff running back and forth.

"I guess we won't be doing anything outdoors today.." Gaara said

"You think?" I replied sarcastically

He rolled his eyes

"Do sandstorms happen alot here?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the leftover sand in my throat. I coughed

Gaara began to chuckle..it was the first time I saw him smile

"Don't laugh at me! This hurts!"

"Thats what you get for sleeping with your mouth open," He teased

"Shut the hell up!"

He openly laughed at me now. I felt a smile creep its way onto my face as well. Though I was reluctant to let him see it.

"Its pretty early... and not many of my staff will be in today due to the storm," Gaara noted "Feel free to go back to bed, I actually have some paperwork to get to,"

"Does that me mean we'll be cooking for ourselves today as well?"

"Oh.. I suppose so, but Temari usually-"

"I'll make breakfast." I interrupted

His eyes widened.

I had spent alot of time working in different tea houses to make money over the years. (I was often fired because I have a terrible temper) but I had developed a bit of a knack for cooking light meals and pastries. Plus... I wanted to thank him for what he did for me last night, and I'm fucking awful with words.

"Are you sure?" He asked

I nodded

"Well, alright then."

He turned to walk away, but suddenly turned right back around. He leaned in close to me

"You probably wouldn't guess by looking at me," He whispered "But I actually have quite a bit of a sweet tooth,"

Why was he acting like this was some huge secret? There was no reason for him to be whispering, the place was deserted.

I giggled

"Are you hinting at something?" I asked

He backed away

"Mei, I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

He walked off

It seems like Gaara was beginning to feel more comfortable around me too...

* * *

_Gaara found himself feeling a bit happier than usual as he walked to his office. Throughout last night, he kept waking to glimpse at Mei sleeping on his chest. He recalled her sweet scent, her softness... It was a first for him, he'd never been that close to a girl before. Prior to that, the most contact he'd had with a female was whenever Temari hugged him._

"Where were you last night?"

Gaara's train of thought was interrupted by his elder brother standing like a tower over him.

"What?" He stalled, acting like he didn't hear Kankuro's question and brushed past him

"Where did you go last night? You were gone all day and then you never came home,"

"...I was with Mei," He answered evenly as he unlocked the door to his office. Kankuro followed him through the door.

_He could practically feel the barage of questions that were about to tumble from his brothers' mouth_.

"With Mei?" He asked with a suggestive grin

Gaara didn't understand.

"Yes, Mei,"

"She's pretty weird," Kankuro noted "But then again so are you..."

"Shutup Kankuro," Gaara hissed

He began scanning over the top few sheets of the mountain of papers that sat on his desk., making a few notes here and there.

"...Soooo?" Kankuro pressed

"So what?" Gaara asked, annoyance apparent in his voice

"Do you think you'll end up liking her?" He asked "Or do you already like her?"

"Like her? Of course I like her, she's very interesting,"

Kankuro knew that him and his younger brother were clearly talking about two different things. One of the traits he loved most about his brother was his innocence about these things.

"Gaara," He said "I mean like her, as in more than just friends,"

_Gaara stopped reading. Friends? Could he even consider Mei a friend yet? Last night had definitely brought them closer, but how did she feel? As far as being more than friends, Gaara had never even thought of a girl in that way before. Not that he didn't want to, he just always had more important things to worry about. He just began to understand basic friendships. A romantic relationship was a extremely unfamiliar territory to him._

"Well, I-I don't know," Gaara studdered "I really need to finish this, do you mind?"

Kankuro shrugged, and walked out.

* * *

The kitchen in this house is to die for. Its much larger and has way more appliances than any of the cramped teahouse kitchens I was used to.

"_I have quite a bit of a sweet tooth._"

His silky voice echoed in my mind. I guess I can see why he acted like having a sweet tooth was such a secret. As Kazekage, you're supposed to have sort of a tough exterior, right? And his appearance is pretty hardcore.. The thought of him eating a fluffy pink cupcake came to mind and I burst into laughter.

Sweet... what can I make thats sweet?...What am I good at? Most of the sweets I knew how to make, I was okay at, but there is one dish that I had gotten alot of compliments on- my crepes. I hoped I was still good at making them, it had been a while. All in all, it took me a little over an hour to make a hot stack of crepes. I even outdid myself with whipped cream and fruit. Lastly, I brewed a pot of hot green tea and I was ready to set the table... it was only after I did that, that I was faced with a problem. I was going to have to eat this with them.

No. No. Hell no. What if they don't like my cooking, and I'll have to sit here like an awkward fuck?

I basically ran from the kitchen to Gaara's office. I knocked

"Yes?"

"BREAKFASTISREADY!" I yelled before I frantically flew upstairs and hid in my room. In reality, I couldn't believe the lengths I'd gone to just to avoid being uncomfortable. Now I'll have to skip breakfast, but I was too tired to eat anyways. Gaara and I had been up late and woken up early.

I plopped down onto my bed, and wrapped the fluffy cream blankets around myself, pulling them up to my chin. I let the sound of the sandstorm's wind ease me to sleep...

_Gaara really enjoyed his breakfast, (it indeed satisfied his sweet tooth) as did Temari and Kankuro. However, they were confused as to why the chef had gone AWAL. Gaara decided to go check on her before he got back to work._

_He went up to her room and knocked on the door. He knocked again, and again... and again... each time with no answer. So finally he just used his sand to creep under the door and unlock it from the inside for fear that something was wrong... but to his relief, she was merely in a deep sleep. He couldn't help himself... he just stood and watched her. He couldn't stop thinking about how she felt curled up in his arms the previous night. It just felt so good having someone elses body so close to his for the first time..._


	9. Open Up to Me (Photo)

I could feel an enormous amount of chakra in my presence, so much so, that it woke me from my sleep only to find Gaara sitting at the foot of my bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" I groaned and sat up

"Why didn't you eat breakfast with us?"

Shit

"Eh... too sleepy," I lied

He folded his arms, I knew he didn't believe me.

"Right, of course," He replied sarcastically "Well in any case, thank you for breakfast... it was great,"

I felt my cheeks flush

"Your welcome..." I mumbled

He was silent for a few moments. I gazed out of the window at the swirls of golden sand blowing by, slapping against the house every few seconds. I could feel those fierce eyes looking dead at me. Why must he gawk at me?

"Its gonna be a boring day," He said "I think I'll go have a bath later..."

"Bath? You're gonna walk to a bath house in this storm? I know you have your lovely little sand shield and all, but even so—"

"We have a fully functioning bath house on the third floor,"

Theres a third floor? This place is bigger than I thought.

"Really?"

He nodded

"Hm... That may be the best idea you've had since we met. You smell," I joked

"Ha-ha-ha. Fuck you,"

I laughed openly this time, I had no need to hide it.

_Gaara was beginning to see that they had similar senses of humor. The kind of crude, sarcastic, half-serious-half-joking type of humor that most people get offended by. He'd never really had anyone to share that side of himself with until now._

"I guess I'll take one too..." I said

His face rose where his eyebrows should've been

"NOT WITH YOU, YOU FUCKING PERVERT!"

"You're the one that said it, not me," He stated calmly, but his face was a rosey shade of pink.

"Whatever, I just meant we could go at the same time if there are seperate baths,"

"There are," He reassured me

"Well just come back up and get me when you're ready to take one,"

"I never said I was leaving, and maybe I'll just wait until tomorrow to take you up there... I'm feeling kind of lazy..."

I dramatically fell backwards into my pillows.

"You're insuffrable,"

"You're unbearable," He retorted

"Well, what do you want to do? Sit here and stare at me some more?"

He gave a slight laugh, and ran his fingers through his rust colored hair.

"Hardly, but—" _Gaara noticed something from out of the corner of his eye. There was a photo sitting on Mei's dresser. He summoned some sand from his gourd that stretched over to the photo and enveloped it, bringing it to his hands._

"Gaara, you can't just grab people's shit without asking!" She huffed

_But he barely heard her. The photo was of a woman who looked nearly identical to Mei, she was holding a little girl with plum colored eyes and hair that was as black as night._

"Is this little girl you?" Gaara asked

"Yeah..." I crawled next to him "And that is my mother. Can I have that back now?"

Without waiting for him to reply, I snatched it out of his hands and returned it to the dresser.

"Now you owe me," I said "You have to show me a picture of your mother now,"

"...Before the end of the day, I will. I promise,"

"Promise..?" I asked, puzzled

"A promise is—"

"I know what a promise is," I said "Its just that—"

"I'll keep mine."

How did he know what I was thinking?

_Gaara knew how he used to view promises... and he didn't. He never believed a word anyone said, so he knew how much it meant for him to at least reassure her and give her something to believe in._

I shrugged

"Your eyeliner looks especially nice today, Gaara-kun," I joked.

He yanked a lock of my hair

"Ow! You bitch!"

He smirked as I felt his sand beginning to blanket itself around my arm, trying to weasel the manga I'd bought yesterday out of my hand. I'd fallen asleep with it next to me. I quickly used my chakra to slice the sand away.

"Show it to me, or at least tell me what its about," He pouted

"Gaara I never pegged you as the type to be into romantic manga,"

DAMMIT I JUST GAVE IT AWAY

The left side of his forehead crinkled, giving away a supposed eyebrow raise.

"Never pegged _you_ as the type to be into romantic manga,"

I rolled my eyes

"Your voice sucks,"

"Excuse me?" He asked

"You're voice is just so monotone. Do you ever get excited or anxious about anything?"

I was lying. He had no idea that I thought his voice sounded like heaven on earth, and I intend to keep it that way.

"Of course I do," He replied flatly "I'm human aren't I?"

"_Are_ you?"

He chuckled

"Whatever, Mei,"

He layed down beside me

"I meant to ask you last night... Did you have any siblings?"

_She was so pretty it made his heart skip a beat. She moved her bangs out of her eyes, and twisted her face._

"Do we have to talk about this serious shit again?" She asked

"Why, yes. We do,"

I was already feeling too vulnerable, too naked. I had already let Gaara in too far as it was. I wasn't ready to talk about everything just yet.

"I have an older brother. Thats it. Case closed, not talking about it anymore."

I turned away from him

"I—"

"What did I just say? I don't want to talk about this anymore. If you want to stay in my room, you're gonna have to talk about something else,"

"_Tch_." He sneered

God, he's annoying. He's fucking lucky he's a looker.

"Come on." He directed as he stood up

"And just where are we going?"

"My room."

What..?

"I don't want to—"

He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me off of the bed

"What the hell?!"

"Part of your problem is that you're just difficult for no reason!" He exclaimed "Just be open to things..."

Why does he constantly try to help me? I've spent hours trying to think of reason. Its not like I asked for this. And besides, he had come so far and I was still stuck in my issues. Why would he waste his time?

I jerked my arm out of his grasp and looked away from him.

"Fine, lets go." I muttered


	10. Open Up to Me (Sake)

Gaara led me out into the dimly lit hallway to a set of mahogany double doors down the hall from my room. He swung the doors open

This was most definitely his bedroom. It was dark due to drawn shades and piles of sand were in various places throughout the room. The floor was made of shiny dark wood planks, and his walls were a bland sandy beige... just like most of the walls in this house. I was surprised to see quite a few shelves adorning his walls, they were all full of books. There were also stacks of books on his desk. Right in the center of the room was a large 4 post bed with a red wine colored comforter (which as also sprinkled with books). I noticed a brown leather couch in front of the bed and took a seat there while Gaara turned on a dim desk lamp and began to rummage through his things.

"Read much?" I joked

"I like books..." He mumbled

When he turned back around, he had two items in his hands: A photograph and a white bottle.

"Do you drink?" He asked

Before he even finished that question, I grabbed the bottle from out of his hands and took a swig from it. The burn of the sake eased my mind.

He sat down beside me so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body, it made me shift awkwardly in my seat. He took the bottle back and drank some as well, handing me the photo. It was torn at the edges, but it was clearly a woman who looked alot like his sister minus the funky hairstyle. Her features were soft, she had sandy blonde hair, and navy blue eyes.

"Holy shit... she's beautiful...This is your mom?"

He nodded "Your mom was very beautiful as well,"

"Thank you," I replied "I'm guessing you look like your dad?"

He nodded again, taking another long drink from the bottle before passing it back to me. My head was beginning to swim, I guess it had been a while since I'd drank last.

"Told you I'd keep my promise,"

"Yeah yeah, whatever,"

He grinned.

I glanced around the room again, eventually turning my attention to another item on his desk. It was a teddy bear... one that had clearly seen its days. It was falling apart at the seams.

"Who's that?" I asked, pointing

Gaara blushed slightly

"His name is...eh..." He hesitated

"Don't be so shy!"

"Ruffy-ruffy-kun..."

It took every ounce of my willpower to stop myself from hugging him. That was adorable.

"Aw... Gaara!" I gushed

"Shutup! You didn't have a stuffed animal as a kid?"

"We aren't talking about me!"

He rolled his eyes. I took a drink from the bottle.

"So... Wanna watch some TV?" He asked as he stole the sake back

My eyes wandered to an obviously neglected, dust covered television in the corner of his room...which also had a stack of books ontop of it.

"Does that even work?"

"Of course it works..." Gaara said, but he sounded rather unsure of himself

He used his sand to trail over and knock the books off of it. He then tried to repeatedly press the power button to no avail. I started to laugh.

"I swear it works!"

He formed a fist with the sand and used it to bang on the top of the TV a few times, and to my surprise, it flickered a few times before turning on.

"Hm... I'm impressed,"

"Why thank you, M'lady." He joked

We passed the bottle back and forth all the way through an episode of a drama that was on. Both of us getting drunker and drunker with every drop that touched our lips.

"Wait, so... is the sister really the brother?" Gaara slurred, obviously puzzled about the show

"No! The cousin is really the brother, and he's pretending to be the sister... wait... no," I paused to laugh "I don't know... I'm drunk,"

He snickered

"Me too..."

I layed my head on his chest, too tired to hold it up on my own anymore.

Gaara suddenly touched my cheek, turning my face upward to look at his, forcefully reminding me of how fucking handsome he was. Wine-red hair framed that exquisite face, a thin blade of a nose and those eyes... those damn eyes. The black lines provided such a wonderful contrast to his turquoise irises.

_All of these feelings were so new and confusing to Gaara, but he knew didn't want to let her go. He physically couldn't, he refused. His drunkeness wasn't getting the best of him, he just felt more relaxed instead of uptight and nervous. He had the confidence to openly gaze back at her. Her eyes were glowing that beautiful glossy shade of violet. He moved her bangs away from her forehead._

No, fuck. Whats happening? I shifted away quickly...well as quickly as I could. Gaara laughed at me as I struggled to gain my balance

"Shutup..." I muttered "Why did you have to go and get me drunk?"

"Hey, you didn't have to drink that much if you didn't want to,"

Well, he has a point. He grabbed me again and brought me back to his side of the couch.

"Stop..." I slurred. But I didn't mean it at all.

I felt his warm breath on my neck, giving me chills down my spine, and tingles in areas no real guy had ever given me.

"You're so pretty, Mei..." He whispered

I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. His soft lips grazed my cheek, making goosebumps all over my body.

...


	11. Open Up to Me (Bath)

"Dammit... It's Temari," Gaara grumbled "WHAT?!"

"Where are you?!" She called

"In my room!" He paused to hiccup "I don't want to be bothered!"

I heard her groan about something, but I couldn't tell what. He turned his attention back to me.

"Where were we?" He asked

"Huh?"

He let his hands lazily trace the outline of my torso. I held back a moan.

"Gaara.. you're just drunk... stop it,"

"No... I want to touch you,"

I desperately tried to think of ways to get out of this situation, but my brain wasn't working fast enough, it was flooded with sake.

"Um... lets go take that bath you were talking about earlier!" I finally drudged up

"What? Now?"

"Yes!" I pressed, grabbing his arm.

We were a pitiful site as we stumbled through the hallway, giggling at nearly every mistake we made. His hands were all over me as we tried to help eachother walk...and I was loving it.

We staggered to a corner of the second floor that I'd never noticed. I followed him up a grand staircase that appeared to look like white marble, even though I know the whole place is made of sand, they've done a hell of a good job copying materials.

Sure enough, he hadn't lied. There really was a bath house on this third floor. There was a post where I suppose an attendant would usually be. Gaara walked behind it an grabbed 2 fluffy red towels.

"Here," He said as he handed me one "I'll be on this side, you can go to that side,"

I nodded and practically dashed to the left, longing to check this place out from top to bottom. It was something else, a simple-luxury type of bath house. Tall marble columns placed evenly throughout the room, and a row of eggshell colored closets on the back wall. The front wall was made almost entirely out of glass, which on any other day would probably provide gorgeous natural lighting, only today, not so much. The ground was covered with a soft, mossy, grasslike material with stepping stones to lead you to the bath. The bath itself looked like a large pond with a waterfall faucet. There were 6 stone shower heads on the left side, with plenty of spa chairs. But right in the center was a poor excuse for a divider between a male and female side. A tall piece of frosted glass. Wow. You could *almost* see straight through it. I mean, the image on the other side was distorted, but if you looked long enough, you could pretty much tell exactly what you were looking at. Oh, dear god. I could see Gaara's naked figure getting into the bath. I couldn't stop staring... or blushing for that matter. I could see how lean and muscular his torso was. My neck began to feel hot, and a lazy butterfly began to flap around in my stomach... plus I felt some sensations in an area beyond that. This was all heightened because I was fucking drunk.

Frightened by this, I tore all of my clothes off, put my hair into a knot ontop of my head, and got into the bath as quickly as I could for fear that he would oggle me just as I did him. The steamy water enveloped my whole being, and it felt as if all of my problems were being washed away. I leaned my head back and watched the steam swirl up and dissapear.

_Gaara did manage to catch a quick glimpse of Mei's body. Damn, the sake was really getting to him. He could see how her body curved, breasts and hips, as it slipped into the water. Some part of him suddenly longed to touch her skin..._

"Hows the water?" He asked

"Fantastic," I sighed "Thanks for bringing me up here,"

"You're welcome."

As the water settled me into a state of calm, my mind began to drift to the young man on the opposite side of the glass. I couldn't stop fantasizing about what his body looked like. I was beginning to crave him... And it was terrifying. I've lusted over guys before, but never really one that was within my reach.

_Gaara was writhing. His groin was beginning to throb due to the warmth of the water, as well as the memory of Mei's intoxicating scent and the softness of her body. Now that he knew what she was shaped like, it was teasing the hell out of him. He'd never felt this way at all, ever. He couldn't help but let his fingertips brush over the head of his now engorged length. He held back a moan. These emotions now had a person attatched to them. A real live person, not a picture in some nudie magazine he'd found in Kankuro's room. It was a girl, the first girl he'd gotten to know in his entire life. He tried desperately to relax, deciding to focus on the scene of the violent sandstorm outside of the window, but his vision was hazy, and blurred._

"D-do these storms last all day?" I asked

"Depends. Sometimes its only a few hours..."

"They get pretty intense, don't they?"

"Yes..." Gaara replied weakly

Fuck, I wonder if he can feel the tension behind these questions. I decided not to talk anymore. I knew that if he spoke to me in that alluring voice of his, it would send me over the edge.

About 20 minutes later, I stepped out of the bath, expecting to feel a bit less intoxicated. I did, but it wasn't enough. I got out of the bath slowly, deliberately. Not speaking for 20 minutes didn't help at all. Infact, it may have made things worse. The tension in the air was almost as thick as the steam. I stepped out slowly because some part of me wanted him to look. I wanted to tease him. Fuck... whats come over me?

_Gaara thought he had come to his senses until he saw her figure through the glass again. What the hell was she doing? Moving so slow... She made her way over to the closets. He watched her every move as she lazily dried herself with the red towel he'd given her. He definitely couldn't get out of the water now, as his excitement had become obvious once again._

I grabbed a robe from the closet and wrapped it around myself.

"I'll see you downstairs!" I called out

"Alright..."


	12. Open Up to Me (Different)

I put on some pajamas and I headed down to the kitchen to gorge myself on leftover crapes, I'm one of those hungry drunks. I was partially avoiding Gaara, hoping he wouldn't be the type to snack. Of course I was unsucessful. He walked into the kitchen only moments after I did. He wore a pair of soft gray pants and a burgundy t-shirt that didn't leave much to the imagination. It hugged his muscles in all the right ways.

"Come with me." He commanded, casually draping his arm around my shoulder

I stuffed a crepe in my mouth and followed him like a helpless puppy.

He brought me back up to his room where, surprisingly, he didn't try anything with me. Not even a little. I couldn't tell if I was relieved or offended. I kind of wished he'd at least tried something...but we just talked until Temari called us down for dinner. Afterwards, our drunkenness had pretty much worn off, along with the sandstorm. We parted ways for the evening. He went to get some work done in his room and prepare for the resuming of his duties in the morning, and I retired to my room to watch TV.

As I layed on my bed, staring carelessly into the screen, I felt this aching sensation in my chest.

Gaara, Gaara, Gaara... why couldn't I get his fucking face to leave my mind?

* * *

The next day was rather uneventful for me. Gaara had spoken to me in the morning briefly before spending the rest of the day working. I didn't see him that much at all, but I that noticed for the fleeting moments we saw eachother, he was always concerned about me. Asking how I'm feeling, if I've eaten, etc. I had pushed everyone away for so long, and now here I am with this incredible young man who wants to help me, and I still can't accept it? What the hell is my problem? He's spent the last 3 days with a girl who had been dropped into his life out of nowhere, and he's a fucking Kage. He has way more important things to do than babysit me... and he still wants to help me. I know I can't change overnight, but I at least... I think I should try—try to be more like him. It took him time, but... he did change. If he did it, then so can I.

It was late. Really late. In fact, I was already in bed, but not at all tired. I was really hoping Gaara was awake as well. I ran from my room and into the hall, nearly knocking Kankuro over as I did so.

"S-sorry!" I studdered as I rushed past him

I burst through the doors of Gaara's bedroom and slammed them behind me. He wasn't stirred at all, he simply looked up at me from behind his desk.

"You knocked?" He asked

"Sorry... its just... I wanted to...arigatou gozaimasu..."

(**Thank you so much**)

I bowed

"I...I don't want to hurt... or hurt others. I just don't know how else to be... but I want to be different. I want to try for you, to thank you. I-I'm sor—"

My words were halted by his warm embrace.

"I know that was difficult for you," He chuckled "But thank you... and you'll change on your own over time. You'll meet new people and have new experiences... maybe even stay in one place for longer than a few days, hm?"

"Heh, maybe..."

He began to gaze at me. My heart was pumping hard against my ribs..

"I promised myself that I'd become someone who is needed and not feared," He said "I want to show you feelings that I've had the pleasure of having because I started to let people in... its just... you..."

He averted his eyes downward

"I... what?"

"You make me feel different...different than I feel about other friends..." He revealed

Friends. He said friends. Gaara considers us friends?

"Different?"

_Gaara was having a hard time describing this new emotion. He could only think of one way to express it that seemed correct. He had seen expressions of it before. Husbands and wives that lived in the village, and of course he would see couples on dates, but he himself didn't start to get it until now, even if only slightly._

In that moment... it happened. He pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was wonderfully soft and full of quiet desperation. I was almost too stunned to do anything but stand there... almost. I took the liberty of deepening the kiss. It was soul-wrenching, full of passion and sweet spontaneity.

Gaara. The Kazekage, the former Jinchuuriki, the demon who loved only himself, the young man who turned his whole life around... Why me?

He pulled back. It felt like time had stopped. I wasn't sure what to do with my body, brain or hands. No one had ever honestly shared something so intimate with me before.

_Gaara was feeling the same. He was beginning to tremble a bit._

"Uh... W-will you keep me company while I finish up? It'll only be a few minutes..."

All I could manage was a nod.

I sat on the couch while he worked in silence for about 5 minutes before he said anything.

"Tsunade sent a letter asking about you,"

"What? Really?" I asked, trying to be casual about the fact that we'd just kissed

He nodded

"She asked if you were settled in, and asked how you were feeling,"

"Oh... Well, what did you tell her?" I asked

"Nothing yet," He said, putting his pen down "I wanted to ask you. How are you feeling, Mei?"

I shrugged

"I don't know... better than I did,"

"Well, thats something." He replied with a smirk

Gaara stood from his desk and turned the brightness of his lamp down to the point where it was barely on.

"I think thats enough work for tonight. Its getting pretty late,"

He glanced at me

"Are you staying in here tonight?"

"Um... I mean I—"

"You're staying." He stated

"What? I don't get a choice in this?"

"No, not really,"

Gaara slipped his burgundy t-shirt over his head. I blushed at the site of his bare skin. His body was incredible. Washboard abs, and a sexy V shape leading downwards...

He walked over to his bed

"Are you gonna get in, or do you want to sleep on the couch? I can get an extra blanket if y—"

I walked over to the opposite side

"No, I'll sleep in the bed..." I interrupted

Gaara's cheeks flushed, but he quickly slipped under the covers. I followed suit. I was nervous as hell. What was I supposed to do with my hands? I tapered them to my sides, laying there solid like stone.

"Come here," He said as he wrestled his arms around me. He pulled me close to him.

His body was rock hard, not that I expected anything less. But his skin was so soft and smooth, and his heart beat, that exhilarating rhythm played loudly in my ears as I cuddled closer to him. It felt so nice... and so fucking right. He was silent as we lay there, simply enjoying each others presence. There were a million questions I wanted to ask him... things I wanted to know, things I knew he wouldn't tell me.

"You know... It wasn't all Naruto who saved me," He said suddenly

"What do you mean?

"I'd also never be where I am today without my brother and sister... they've helped me alot,"

"Temari and Kankuro... yeah. They seem like good people,"

"They are..."

"Kinda makes me miss my brother..." I admitted "I guess I'm a little jealous,"

Gaara was shocked. Mei had been so closed off about talking about her brother before... but now she was opening up.

"Were you and your brother close?" He asked

"Very..." I said quietly "Minoru was always saying 'Ni-chan will always protect little Mei'. And he was an excellent ninja. He was always training... He had just become a Chunin when..."

Gaara pulled me closer.

"I'm sorry for your loss... he sounded like an amazing person,"

"...To be honest with you...I don't think my brother is dead."

He pulled back and looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face

"What?"

"...I've just never felt that way. I've never felt his energy die. My mother's is gone, my father's is gone, his... his I can still feel... I don't know. Maybe I'm just a crazy bitch who can't accept that her brother is dead,"

_Gaara could see the pain in her eyes... he felt it in her words. She tried to laugh it off, but it was obvious how she was really feeling._

"You're not crazy. If you think he's alive then I have no reason to doubt you. Maybe you'll find him someday..."

That was the last thing he said to me. He stroked my hair until I fell asleep in his arms.


	13. Open Up to Me (Temari)

I awoke in the morning to Gaara's arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He's too handsome for words...

He looks so innocent when he sleeps.

"Wake up, loser," I laughed

He stirred slightly, opening one ringed eye, revealing a magnificent turquoise iris.

"Goodmorning, Mei," He mumbled. He pulled me down to his level...well, he moreso forced me down to his level.

"Gaara, what—"

He quickly crashed his lips into mine, kissing me fervently. There was so much heat behind this kiss, not sweet and gentle like our kiss last night. I started to feel my innocence towards Gaara slip away. Just because I'm horrible with emotions doesn't mean I don't lust after this kid 24/7. He's fucking gorgeous.

I shoved my hands into his soft crimson hair and kissed him back.

He pulled away, thinking he was finished but I pulled him in again, unwilling to stop. He took my bottom lip between his teeth and bit down slightly. I squirmed with arousal. I moaned into kiss after kiss. He finally pulled back and turned his attention to my neck, attacking it with a growl and a deep bite, then he began to suck and kiss the bare skin...

But someone started banging on the door

"GAARA-SAMA! I know its early... but you're needed, its urgent!"

"Shit... I have to go, sorry Mei." He kissed my forehead and got up out of bed. He rushed to his closet, pulling out his robe. He slipped it over his head and removed his sweatpants, replacing them with black ones. He looked so regal in the white and green robe... actually looking like the Kazekage was...sexy. He combed his hair with his hands and rushed to the door.

"Wait!" I said, grabbing his hat from the bed post

"Don't forget this,"

He smirked, placing the white diamond shaped hat onto his head.

"Thank you." He replied "I'll see you later, hopefully."

He kissed me once more before leaving the room.

...What the fuck is happening in my life?

The day went on and, again, I barely saw Gaara at all. Most of that morning I'd spend just laying in my room trying to dissect every moment of my encounters with him from the last 24 hours, unable to understand whether these romantic gestures were real. But, surely Tsunade didn't send me here to be babysat by the Kazekage. I couldn't be expected to just sit on my ass and wait for him as my only means of entertainment, right? So, I decided to get out and get some air. Well, hot air. Even though these clothes certainly do their job, I still fucking hate the heat of the Sand village. I thought I'd get used to it, but that wasn't happening in the slightest.

I set out into the village in the late afternoon, merely to explore and maybe do some shopping. I kind of remembered my way around from a couple of days before. I went out into the market district, getting a few stares and whispers thrown my way, mostly about Gaara and I's relationship status, but I didn't care. I just pretended not to hear them.

I stopped at a trinket shop. It was full of all sorts of odds and ends. Small figurines, posters, wind chimes, they even had a book corner. I scanned the shelves, mindlessly searching when someone bumped into my back.

"Hey! Watch where the f-... Temari?"

Temari's cheeks flushed

"Oh... H-hey, Mei,"

Why does she look like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar?

"What are you doing here?" I asked

"I...I...Well..."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm looking for a gift," She admitted with a sigh

"A gift? For who?" I asked, as I turned back to the shelves

"A friend..."

"If you're talking about Shikamaru, I know that he's not just your friend, so cut the act. Your brother told me all about it,"

"WHAT?! Who says the gift is for him?!.. I'm gonna KILL Kankuro,"

"Kankuro? Gaara's the one who told me,"

_Gaara? Temari was confused, and almost a little jealous. Her baby brother had spoken so openly... and shared things with someone he'd only known a few days. It would have taken her weeks to pull a conversation like that out of him... Nonetheless she was surprised and glad he'd found someone to confide in... even if she's a total weirdo._

"Okay, it is," She admitted again "I'm leaving for a mission to Konoha tomorrow morning... and I wanted to bring him something,"

"How cute," I replied flatly as I studied a small Daruma statue.

"I, uh... I actually met Shikamaru when I was in Konoha. He's the guy with the ponytail, right? Smokes alot of cigs?" I said in an effort to keep up the conversation.

Her face suddenly lit up

"You did? ..What did you think of him?"

"Well... Tsunade sent him to me, but I was pretty much determined to shut down everyone she sent. So I hated him. But I guess... He's very perceptive. He figures things out quickly, and I guess he's cute,"

"He's really smart," She beamed "I'm just looking for a book to give him,"

I nodded. We silently moved to the book section.

"So, Mei-san," Temari started "You and my brother seem to be getting along well,"

"Tabun,"

(_Perhaps_)

"I see he talks to you alot, which is rare,"

"He doesn't talk to you?" I asked

"Are you kidding? Gaara is way better than he used to be, but he's still horribly anti-social. Its actually odd that he's taken such a liking to you,"

I shot her a glare

"I didn't mean it like that!" She amended "I just mean... he's gotten so comfortable around you so quickly. Its weird for him,"

"Oh..."

"Here it is!" She exclaimed, holding a book up "This is the one Shikamaru was talking about... Well, I'm gonna go pay for this and get some training done before it gets dark... I'll see you later, Mei."

She dissapeared around the corner.

I really have to get better at having conversations.

* * *

Later on that night, I was training on the roof as usual.

I needed someone to talk to that wasn't Gaara, someone I could talk to and trust. I bit my thumb, drawing a drop of red blood from underneath the surface of my skin. I slammed my palm to the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"  
(_Summoning Technique_)

There was a sudden mist cloud that my Raven appeared behind as it began to dissipate.

_Gaara had finally finished his daily work, and was scouring the house for Mei. When he didn't find her, he headed up to her usual night time hangout: the rooftop, to see if she was there. He saw her shadow and was about to call out her name, when he saw a massive black shape standing with her... As he got closer, he could see that the shape was a bird-a stunning bird, with obsidian feathers that shone in the moonlight. The bird spoke to Mei softly, almost too soft for Gaara to even hear, he only caught every few words..._


	14. Open Up to Me (Sasuke)

**SMUT SMUT SMUT, THERE IS SOME SMUT IN THIS CHAPTER! If you don't like it, do not read it please x**

* * *

"Long time no see," Tsuyosa cooed

"Tsuyosa..." I said as I ran my fingers over her velvety black feathers

"I like the new setting," She said "Its a little hot, but its beautiful. Whats the matter?"

"I don't know, Tsu-sama... things are just changing alot,"

"Change is a good thing," She remedied

"It's just hard for me..."

"I know it is, Mei-chan... but I can sense the crimson haired boy has felt the pain that you have felt... take a chance..."

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Accept friendship and what may come of it. He can teach you things... You have good judgement..."

"I'll try..."

"Ii ko dayo."

(_Good girl_)

"You have a visitor," She said calmly "I'll see you soon..."

The mist appeared again, and Tsuyosa vanished. I turned around, watching Gaara's figure creep out from the darkness.

"So thats why they call you Karasu no Konoha," He said

"Okay, Sabaku no Gaara," I joked

He smirked

"Sorry about being so busy lately..."

"Its understandable, you are Kazekage after all," I replied "Plus, its not like I_ need_ you to hang out with me, I can entertain myself,"

He put his arm around me and looked out over Suna. It was actually quite a beautiful village, illuminated by the pale moonlight. Gaara had a dreamy look in his turquoise eyes.

"...You really love what you do, don't you? You really love your people," I said quietly

"...I do. I'd do anything to protect them, and have,"

"Hm...I got you something," I said

His eyes widened

"You did?" He asked

"Yeah, hold on,"

I leaped from the rooftop and down through my window. I grabbed the bag off of my bed and turned around to go back up, when I ran into a rock solid figure.

"Gaara! I told you to fucking wait!"

He laughed

"Sorry,"

I handed him the bag. He hurriedly reached into it.

"I've been wanting to read this book, how'd you know?"

"Temari got the same book for Shikamaru, I thought maybe you'd like it too,"

He placed his hands on my waist.

"Thank you..."

Gaara leaned in and kissed me, deeply. We spent the rest of that night cuddling and talking... it was so nice to have someone who listened to me, who laughed with me.

Dammit, Gaara.

* * *

Things went on like that for the next week. Every day it got a bit easier to talk to people, I was still a little defensive, but hey, thats just who I am. Gaara and I spent most of our free time together, still flirting as much as ever, kissing, falling asleep together, getting closer, becoming better friends... I wasn't sure what any of it meant, but neither of us had brought it up... and why should we have to? We're young... and we're just enjoying eachothers company. This is all so new to us, we're just basking in it.

One cloudy morning, I had just finished helping Gaara deligate a mission to a team of sand shinobi and I was just roaming around his office, poking through his things.

"Mei! I got a letter from Tsunade-sama," Gaara called

I walked over to his desk

"Hmph. What does it say?" I asked

"Well, she says that... if I feel you're ready, you should come back to Konoha as soon as possilbe,"

"...Go back?"

"You didn't think you'd stay here forever, did you?" He asked

"Well, no... its just, it seems like its gone by too fast,"

"It does," He replied "But you really should go soon,"

"Why?"

"You have alot of unfinished business in Konoha,"

He was right. But I also didn't want to go back to Konoha because I was gonna miss his dumb ass. Ugh. This is exactly why I don't get attatched to people. Now I'm all wrapped up in this guy.

"Tsunade sent you here because she believes in you, you know?" He continued "Its not like you were a problem that got sent away. She thinks you'd be a valuable asset to the leaf shinobi,"

ME? A leaf shinobi? The thought of that job choice never even crossed my mind.

"But, Gaara..."

"Its not like I won't come visit you..." He reassured me "And you can visit anytime, you're always welcome here,"

He stood and hugged me

"Its time for you to stand on your own, and face your demons, Mei. You can do it. Surely you can make friends, you've made friends with me, Kankuro and Temari."

_Gaara was already beginning to miss her and he didn't even know when she'd leave. He knew she was strong enough now to stand on her own two feet, and he was showing her all the encouragement he could, but the thought of not waking up with her, or catching her training on the roof, not seeing her smile every day... it was tugging at his heart. He didn't even know what they were yet. Was she his girlfriend? Do you have to ask people to do that? Or does it just happen? What even is a girlfriend? Was he ready for this? Fuck._

"I guess I'll try..." I said

* * *

That night, Gaara and I were in bed together. It had to be at least 2 AM. The sexual tension between Gaara and I had only been building. We had been doing okay about bullshitting around this fact, but theres only so much talking we can do. I wanted him. I craved him. Can you blame me? Have you seen the guy?

_Gaara was reluctant to move as he layed there with Mei in his arms. Her body felt so good.. her breasts pushed against his chest, his hands on her delicate curves, her delicious scent... Part of him was much more awake than the rest of his body. He didn't want to make things awkward by poking her with his growing erection. She was just so fucking warm and soft._

I already knew Gaara was hard. I'm not an idiot. He'd poked me with it at least 3 times. I was trying not to make him feel uncomfortable by aknowledging it... but every fiber of my being was trying not to caress it, or grind on it. Just because I'm horrible with emotions doesn't mean I don't lust after this kid 24/7.

I rolled over, "accidentally" brushing up against his arousal as I brought my arm from under the covers. I saw his expression twist, and his jaw tighten.

Fuck. My face was starting to feel warm and my heart raced. I cuddled closer to him, desperate to feel his skin on mine, to hear that husky voice in my ear. I couldn't control myself. My lust was too strong.

"What are you—_Unh_.." He moaned

I had positioned his clothed shaft in the space between my thighs, teasing him.

_This simple sensation, and thought of being anywhere near that part of Mei had Gaara's whole body tense. He writhed with pleasure as she pushed her thighs back and forth._

"M-Mei.." He grunted "St-stop..."

"Okay." I stopped the motion and went to move my legs away, but his firm arms stopped me.

I smirked, and continued the motion over and over. Gaara was a chorus of grunts and sexy moans. He was so big... and unbelievably aroused, I could feel him throbbing.

_He loved how comfortable she felt doing this to him. Both of them were so awkward in any other situation, but this one they seemed to feel natural in. The action was both innocent and guilty at the same time. He bit deep into her shoulder, deep enough to draw blood but she didn't seem to mind. She moaned, her moans were the most wonderful sound he'd ever heard. He slipped her shirt over her head, attacking her breasts with his strong grip._

I couldn't control myself, I'd become so addicted to the man in front of me. I was addicted to his scent, his voice, his laugh, his words... I wanted him so bad. He let out another gorgeous moan. I felt myself getting wetter and wetter with every motion I made.

"If you k-keep going...I'll—fuck..."

"You'll?" I whispered sensuously

"I'll... unhhh... Mei... I-I'm about to..."

_Gaara couldn't hold back anymore, he cupped Mei's ass and squeezed it while pleasure flooded his body. He rarely "relieved" himself, so this felt like heaven to him..._

"AH!" He breathed

He looked right into my eyes while he came. His whole body tensed, and I felt his hot semen soak both his sweatpants and mine.

His breathing was still so heavy.. I watched the beautiful rise and fall of his bare chest. Gaara was quiet for a while, I'd planned on talking to him some more, but I fell asleep...

_Gaara watched her as she slept. He couldn't believe the way she made him feel...well, firstly she made him feel sticky. But, you get the idea. He wished he knew how to make her feel that way. He tried to get up without stirring her so he could change, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her begin to move. Her face twisted as if she were in pain, she arched her back and relaxed it... but his heart stopped when she uttered something he never expected to come from her lips_

"Sasuke..." She whispered "Sasuke..."


	15. Open Up to Me (Konoha)

The next morning I woke up with Gaara's eyes staring me down.

"Isn't it a little early for this?" I groaned "Whats your problem?"

He looked away

"You still don't remember how you ended up in Konoha, right?" He asked

Where did that come from?

"No...I don't,"

"Well, last night you said something in your sleep that may be a clue... in fact it would be quite a shock if it was..."

"_What_? What was I saying?"

"A name," He replied

"Who's name..?"

He took a deep breath

"Sasuke," He said "Theres only one Sasuke I could think of that you'd be talking about... but how do you know him?"

That utterance name alone made my head pound, but I didn't know why. Everyone knows about Sasuke Uchiha. The rogue ninja. The former criminal who had since returned to Konoha. I had run into him quite a few times during the war, since I was always in different places and he was on the run. I had a couple of run ins with the Akatsuki, even Orochimaru. Plus, I was doing some tracking of my own during that time. He'd burned alot of bridges with people, and he was an annoying, arrogant, prick from what I learned when I met him, but nothing that significant had happened between Sasuke and I for me to be calling out his name in my sleep.

"I know him... but I don't understand why I'd be dreaming about him. Did I say anything else?"

"No, you just said his name."

He seemed a little annoyed.

"I'm sure it was nothing, it was just a dream. Don't get all weird,"

He half smiled

"You're right..." He replied quietly "Probably nothing."

* * *

Over the past few days Gaara had managed to convince me that it really was time for me to return to Konoha. It was time for me to figure out who I was... and to live on my own somewhere stable. Though I had come to sort of love Sunagakure and its people, I knew it wasn't going anywhere. I could always come back, and would to see Gaara. I still couldn't help but think about where our relationship stood. I knew we were friends, but I also knew we were more than friends... I'm too much of a pussy to bring it up...I just don't know.

I decided there was no use in postponing the trip, no matter how much I already missed him. I needed to do this for me, not anyone else. I was set to leave that evening after dinner.

The sun was setting in the village. I was all packed and ready to go. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro were all outside in the courtyard to see me off.

"Are you sure you don't want anyone to escort you?" Gaara asked for the 400th time

"Dammit, yes I'm sure," I replied "Tsuyosa will guide me. She has more than enough knowledge of direction to get me to Konoha safely,"

He winced

"I'll be fine," I reassured him.

I bit my thumb and summoned her.

"Mei-chan," She cooed

I bowed "Tsu-sama,"

Kankuro and Temari's eyes were wide

"Woah..." Kankuro piped up "She's yours?"

He stepped up and pet her feathers

"Yep," I said proudly

Gaara stepped closer to me, motioning for his brother and sister to wrap up their goodbyes.

"It was really nice having you stay with us, Mei," Temari said "I'm in Konoha quite often... so I'll see you around. Plus, you're always welcome to come back."

She gave me a hug

"Yeah," Kankuro added "Come back anytime."

With a nod, they began to walk back to the house. Gaara pulled me close.

"I'll write to you all the time, and visit when I can. But since my duties keep me here alot—" He began

"Don't worry, I'll visit too..."

Part of me wanted to cry. Part of me still didn't know if I was ready to leave. He planted his lips on mine in a sweet goodbye kiss.

"Sabisii desu," He studdered "Good luck... I know you can do this,"

(_I'll miss you_)

"I'll miss you too...Thank you... for everything. I don't know what I'd have done without you..."

"Stop talking like you'll never see me again... this is not the end." He whispered

I smiled as a tear fell from my eye. I kissed him once more before mounting Tsuyosa.

"See you soon, Gaara," I said "Lets go, Tsuyosa."

_Gaara watched as the beautiful black bird stretched its wings out and took flight into the desert sunset. He could feel a lump beginning to rise in his throat. Mei had become one of the most important people in his life in such a short amount of time, and he was determined not to lose her._

* * *

It took 2 and a half exhausting days before I reached the gates of Konoha, a familiar site to me. I let Tsuyosa go.

Well... here I go.

I walked up to the gate where guard shinobi stood.

"I'm Mei Igarashi...I'm supposed to—"

"Hello, Mei,"

Tsunade seemed to appear out of nowhere

"FUCK! ... Oh, sorry, you scared me."

"How was your stay in Suna?" She asked

"...It was interesting,"

"Glad to hear it," She said with a smile

_Tsunade could see the change in Mei's demeanor compared to how she was when she arrived there the first time. She was still a hardass... but Tsunade could tell she'd learned something from Gaara, as she'd expected._

"Well, firstly, we need to get you a place to live. I've already arranged for that. I have some business to attend to but I'll have..."

She looked around, spotting someone walking by.

"KAKASHI!" She yelled

The man... holy shit the man was beautiful. Somehow he was even beautiful only showing half of his face. His silver hair was in messy spikes pointing to the right. He was reading a book as he strolled... Makeout Paradise? Geez. For someone who looks so badass, he reads that crap? He's like a walking contradiction.

"Ah, Tsunade-sama... you don't have to yell," He said cooly, closing his book and walking up to us "Ah... you must be Mei,"

I nodded

"Kakashi will take you to your new apartment,"

"O-oh."

"I'll give you the day to settle in," Tsunade continued "But I want you to report to my office at 7AM sharp tomorrow morning, understood?"

"...Hai."

(_Yes_)

My first day back and I already have orders tomorrow? Lame.

Kakashi and I began to walk.

"So, Mei...I heard you spent some time in Suna. How was your stay? Did the sand siblings treat you well?"

"Yeah... it was nice," I said

"Hm...Whats got you down?" He asked

"...Alot of things, but I'm kind of excited to start over here in Konoha."

"Thats the spirit."

I suddenly noticed something coming rapidly towards us.. wait maybe its 2 things? They were running at incredible speed.

"Oh boy..." Kakashi groaned

As the figures came into view, I noticed it was 2 men. Were they twins? They had awfully similar haircuts... and now that they're closer... Unnaturally thick eyebrows. They came to a screeching halt in front of us.

"Good morning, Gai," Kakashi said dully

"Morning Kakashi!" The older man said

"Good morning Kakashi-sensei," the younger man said

"Who's this?" Gai said, turning his attention towards me, he had a ridiculous grin on his face.

I couldn't help but start to giggle at the pair.

"Mei Igarashi," I replied

"...Karasu no Konoha," The younger man said

"I prefer Mei, but... yes,"

"Gomen nasai!" He bowed "My name is Lee. Rock Lee,"

(_I'm sorry_)

So this is the Rock Lee that Gaara had told me so much about. The Taijutsu master who uses no ninjutsu at all, but keeps up with all of the elite shinobi.

"Nice to meet you, Lee-san,"

Gai and Kakashi babbled on about some nonsense, while Lee and I stood there awkwardly. He was kind of cute in his own way, and I could tell that he was very strong.

"I hope you like it here in Konoha," He said "If no one else shows you hospitality, I'll be sure to!"

I smiled

"Thank you... I appreciate that. I'd like to train with you sometime, Lee-san,"

He blushed

"Definitely." He replied

Kakashi turned to me.

"Mei, we should get you to your apartment. I'll see you guys later."

"Goodbye! Nice meeting you, Mei!" They said in unison before they sped off.

Kakashi sighed

"You'll have to excuse them, they're a bit...exhausting."

I laughed. I had to admit, with all of the serious things I'd been dealing with lately, those 2 were very refreshing. I was actually feeling kind of comfortable around people, this was all so new to me.

After about 5 minutes, we reached an apartment building. It wasn't much. A brown and green building with a wooden roof. Kakashi led me up to the top row of apartments, and stopped at the second to last door. Apartment 403.

"Well, here we are." He handed me a key "Do you need anything else? If not, I'll be going now."

I shook my head. He smiled.

"I think you'll like your neighbor, he should be back later today."

"Neighbor?"

As soon as I asked that, Kakashi dissapeared.

What the hell was that?


End file.
